


Silver Bells, Gold Rings

by cluelesspaladin



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: F/M, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-13
Updated: 2020-01-13
Packaged: 2021-02-27 13:27:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,433
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22237846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cluelesspaladin/pseuds/cluelesspaladin
Summary: Two days until Christmas means a lot of things. For Hunk, it means giving his girlfriend of six years the absolute best Christmas ever. Never mind that there's a ring in his pocket, the entire gang- okay, almost the entire gang are showing up on Christmas Eve, and their cats are hellbent on destroying the tree.Good news is, Hunk isn't the only one with a surprise this year.-Shay’s brows almost disappeared as she made a noise in the back of her throat, rolling her eyes as she walked over to the bed, snagging her glasses case and getting the gold frames settled on her nose.“I distinctly recall an incident in which Keith bet that Shiro and Pidge would never be able to eat an entire pie on Thanksgiving. They ate the entire thing and then went looking for more.”
Relationships: Hunk/Shay (Voltron), Prior Hunk/Keith, matt/shiro
Comments: 2
Kudos: 9





	Silver Bells, Gold Rings

**Author's Note:**

> Written for PerrythePlatypusGirl for the Hunk Winter Holiday Exchange! Sorry about the delay in posting this- I hope I did your prompts justice!

_Two Days Until Christmas_

The clock ticked agonizingly slowly. Hunk watched it like a hawk, his entire leg bouncing as the little digital numbers on the flight board continued to switch around. Shay’s flight would be getting in any minute, and to say that he had missed his girlfriend of six years was an understatement.

Shay had flown back home to visit with her family for the week before Christmas (as most of her family did not celebrate the holiday and Hunk had asked if they would be able to spend Christmas together this year)- and he wanted this year to be special on several accounts.

One, because Hunk had decided that he would give Shay the one on one, complete Garrett family Christmas experience. Shay had grown up travelling the world, both of her parents humanitarians and her brother in the military. Her grandmother was just… _eccentric_. Didn’t really believe in holidays, quite possibly believed in the idea of aliens, the whole nine yards. Lovely woman nonetheless.

Two, Hunk had invited the whole gang from college to their apartment for Christmas. (Yes, he had cleared it with Shay before he’d done so, he wasn’t an idiot).

Three…

Well, Hunk was ready to “y’know, ask her” as Keith so delicately put it. It was also part of the reason that he hadn’t gone with Shay to visit her family this year. He’d instead asked Keith and PIdge to help him pick out the ring.

(Lance had wanted to come along, but he was in Spain with his twin and older siblings for their annual “Sibling Getaway” until after Christmas. He would be on facetime for Christmas, but wouldn’t actually be arriving back to the States until Boxing Day. He would be coming to Hunk’s for New Years, though.)

“Hunk!”

A blur of color was the only warning he had before he was launched back by the force of his girlfriend’s weight slamming into him all at once. Laughter bubbled out of his chest as he buried his face into her dark hair, inhaling the subtle cinnamon smell of her shampoo.

“Hi!” she beamed at him, green eyes gleaming at him as she proceeded to pull him into an enthusiastic kiss. “I missed you.”

“I missed you too.” He grinned, cupping her cheek. “I like your earrings.”

“My boyfriend bought them for me.” She snorted, tone fond as she adjusted her light scarf over her green tunic. “How was everything while I was gone?”

“As well as it can be considering we have two days until Christmas and a _lot_ of holiday experience to do in the meantime. How’s your gran?”

“As excited as always to know that her granddaughter is dating such a _becoming_ young man such as yourself.” Shay giggled, leaning over to grab her carry on. “Can we stop and get fries and milkshakes on the way home? Small town living makes me miss living near fast food.”

“I blame Lance for getting you hooked on dipping fries into ice cream.” Hunk shook his head.

“Of course, darling.” She laughed, twining her fingers with his as she leaned into his shoulder.

The exit from the airport was uneventful- it was the holiday season, it was busy, but no one was causing any scenes. By the time they had gotten out to the faded yellow “mom van” that the crew laughed at constantly, light flurries of snow were beginning to fall again.

Shay marvelled at it, allowing the flakes to touch the backs of her hands and cheeks, entire face flushed from the cold. Hunk loved watching her fall in love with the cold weather every year- despite the blackouts, bad roads and general irritability that it brought, she found the good in it without fail.

Hunk loaded her back into the back of the car before bundling his enthusiastic partner into the passenger seat, sneaking another kiss before heaving himself into the driver’s seat.

It wasn’t too long a drive to get back home- it wasn’t a terribly large town they lived in, but it was large enough that they had several fast food joints and bigger box stores. That included the small domestic airport that graced the fringes of the town limits.

“So, what’s first on your list for holiday cheer?” Shay inquired, a soft smile tugging the edge of her lips as she tilted her head to look over at Hunk.

“Well, we’re going to need a tree.” He replied, pointing at one of the handmade signs on the side of the road.

* * *

After an hour of good-natured bickering over a blue spruce and a pine, the pair left the local tree farm with the blue spruce tied to the top of the van and made a pit stop at the local Wendy’s to indulge Shay’s craving for fries and milkshake before heading homeward. Mustard and Pepper- the pair of fluffy tabby rescues who usually greeted Hunk with enthusiasm- hissed the second the tree made its entrance into the apartment; scattering to the wind before Shay could scoop them into her loving embrace.

Thankfully, Hunk had had the foresight to dig out the tree stand before he’d left to pick Shay up, and so only had to deposit the base of the tree into the hole and tighten the screws to hold it in place. (Which then freed Shay’s hands to go and soothe the cats frazzled nerves.)

“Well? How does it look?” he asked, extracting himself carefully from the branches and wincing when one branch got in a good jab to the back of his neck. It was pretty, but the needles hurt something fierce.

“A tiny bit crooked, but perfect.” Shay said, tilting her head to examine his work. Mustard was purring mightily in her arms, any and all trauma from the last several minutes already long forgotten. Shay was a miracle worker that way- it was why she made an excellent volunteer at the local shelter. “Do we have decorations?”

Hunk made a wounded noise, dramatically clutching his chest.

“My own love of my life questioning whether or not I’m ready for decorating the tree? My heart is wounded!” he bemoaned, swooning into the couch. “I have the boxes out in the kitchen- I had to go through and make sure nothing was broken.”

“Then I will make some tea and then we can decorate.” She smiled at him, scratching Mustard’s ears as she turned on her heel to go to the other room. “If you are not too injured, could you please move the boxes into the living room?”

Hunk snorted at the dry tone for the latter half of Shay’s words. Nonetheless, he pulled himself up off the couch and started after her.

The things he did for love.

* * *

“I think the cats are going to maul this tree.” Shay said consideringly, feet tucked into Hunk’s lap and holding a glass of wine in one hand idly. They’d eaten pasta for dinner- Shay’s favourite- as a welcome home gift. Now the pair were reclined on the loveseat with a bottle of wine and the cats curiously sniffing at the new addition in the home.

“You’re probably right.”

“Hn.” She hummed, moving the glass to the coffee table. Oddly enough, Hunk had yet to see her take a sip of it. Then again, she had just flown in earlier that day. He couldn’t fault her if she wasn’t feeling like drinking.

“So, tomorrow. Did you want to do anything special before the gang gets here?” Hunk asked quietly, setting his glass aside as well to instead rub at the bottoms of his girlfriend’s feet. “We could go up to the mountain and go sledding, or we could go shopping, or stay in…”

“All of those do sound nice.” Shay nodded, head lolling to rest on the back of the couch. “We should go out early tomorrow morning and get whatever is left on our list and then come home and finishing wrapping. And then maybe do some baking?”

“God, you’re awesome.” Hunk sighed. “I think everyone is getting in late tomorrow. I’ll text Keith- I think he’s already gotten started on his drive- and check in on the Holts and Shiro. Allura’s the only one flying in, I think, but we can go and pick her up from the airport if need be.”

“Of course. We won’t let her stay at the airport on Christmas Eve any longer than necessary.” Shay said firmly. “You said that Matthew is mildly allergic to cats?”

“Yeah. Nothing serious though, he just gets a little sneezy.” Hunk shook his head. “He loves cats though. He and Shiro are still arguing over whether or not to get a dog or two cats. My moneys on both. Shiro could do with a support animal after his deployment. Actually, both of them could. We should try to find them a dog.”

Shay laughed, her hair falling into her face.

“We cannot force them to get a dog, love.”

“No, but we could encourage them. Maybe our resident volunteer could do some work on them while they’re here?”

“I won’t promise anything, but I’ll see if I can’t sell them on one of our long-term residents.” Shay winked. “I hope we can find Max a home soon. He’s been with us for months.”

Maxwell was a four-year-old Golden Retriever-Border Collie mix who had lost a leg sometimes before coming to the shelter. Despite being one of the sweetest creatures Hunk had ever met, many people were put off by the “disabled” dog, preferring puppies and more able critters.

“Don’t worry. He’s going to have a home.”

“I hope so. If he’s at the shelter for much longer he might be put down.”

“Shay.” There was laughter in Hunk’s voice. “Did Keith not tell you?”  
  


“What?” Shay looked puzzled. “Tell me-“  
  


“Keith’s adopting Maxwell. He’s going to take him home when he leaves on the twenty-seventh. He must have been waiting to tell you himself.”

“Keith is adopting him?” It was like the sun was rising on Shay’s features as the news sunk in. “Did you tell him?”

“I might have said that Maxwell would make a good companion for someone who spends all of his time in the middle of the desert with no one but rocks to talk to. Also I might have sent his information to him a couple of weeks ago.”

“Hunk! That’s excellent news!” she squealed, throwing herself forward to wrap her arms around his shoulders. “I suppose I have you to thank since I’ve been worrying about him for so long.”

“Keith or Maxwell?”

“That is a trick question and you know it, Hunk.” She scolded despite her giggles as she pressed kisses to every part of his face she could reach. “But both, if I must answer.”

“I hope he knows we’re sending enough food home with him that he isn’t going to starve for at least a few weeks.” Hunk mused.

“He should know by now.” Shay hummed in return. “You two were dating for several years. And you are very maternal.”

“I happen to enjoy taking care of the people I love.” He huffed. “Including the best person _ever_. Not to mention that I know for a fact that Keith would starve if we didn’t feed him well.”

“You only say that because we met while I was promoting an adoption event.” She shoved at his shoulder lightly, settling back in her seat.

“And look what I have to show for it- hey! Pepper! Mustard! You leave those ornaments alone!” he barked at the soft sound of claws tapping at ornaments. Thankfully, he and Shay had had the foresight to put the non-breakable ones at the base of the tree, leaving the more delicate glass ones for the higher branches.

The cats both swivelled their heads around to stare at him, eyes owl-like from the light from the Christmas lights. Hunk brandished a chastising finger in their direction, to no avail. Neither cat was terribly threatened unless he was to make a move to get up, but Hunk could hope to deter them.

Hope being the keyword.

“You might want to give up. I suspect they’ll have some of the small metal ones off by morning.” Shay sighed. “We both know that they are persistent.”

“Doesn’t mean I can’t try.” He sulked.

“There, there.” Shay soothed, though the smile was not lost as she did so. “It is all part of the experience, is it not?"

"I guess it is.” He sighed reluctantly. “Here’s hoping there aren’t any dents in the walls when we get up tomorrow.”

* * *

_One Day Until Christmas_

Hunk stirred the next morning as he realized that Shay was not lying next to him in bed. Glancing over at the clock, he groaned at seeing the cheerful blinking blue of _6:23 am._ He knew that Shay had wanted to get out early, but even this was pushing it.

He was about to call at her when he heard the shower spring to life. It allowed him a brief moment to relax. Something always panicked when he woke up without her next to him- call it paranoia and love long lost. Keith hadn’t been as bad, but there had been others before him.

Only one after, though.

Hunk debated getting up, eventually deciding to compromise by grabbing his phone and checking in with everyone via text. Keith had stopped for the night and would be heading out shortly, which meant he was probably going to get in earlier than they’d thought, while Pidge, Shiro and Matt would be departing in an hour or so and going straight through until late evening. Allura would be somewhere in between, her flight getting in about eight in the evening.

“Well, it seems someone isn’t ready to get up yet.”

“Just checking in on everyone. Keith’s probably going to be getting here earlier than we thought and Allura thinks her flight’s getting in just before eight. The others all say late evening.”

“Good thing we’re making lasagna then, isn’t it?” Shay said easily, leaning against the doorframe. Her hair was still up in the odd turban that she somehow managed to do every time she came out of the shower, already in a soft green turtleneck. Her dark legs were the result of her comfortable tights and knee-high socks that looked slightly terrifying but Hunk knew from experience were softer than any fabric had right to be.

“No one’s going to go hungry with your mom’s famous lasagna recipe, babe.” Hunk chuckled, stretching languidly, arms brushing against the headboard. “And if they do I’m calling them freaks of nature.”

Shay’s brows almost disappeared as she made a noise in the back of her throat, rolling her eyes as she walked over to the bed, snagging her glasses case and getting the gold frames settled on her nose.

“I distinctly recall an incident in which Keith bet that Shiro and Pidge would never be able to eat an entire pie on Thanksgiving. They ate the entire thing and then went looking for more.” She finally finished, pecking Hunk as she swiped her thighs with her hands. “Come on- daylight is wasting and I want to get the shopping done before the big rush hits the grocery store.”

“You and me both.” Hunk shuddered, already thinking of the horror. Christmas Eve shoppers were terrifying in grocery stores. The majority of them were women who had already been sent to the store one time too many and had nothing left to live for or lose.

Those were the women that Hunk feared.

“Hunk?”

… Okay, maybe there was more than that. But he would never say it.

* * *

Keith showed up just as Shay was putting the lasagna in the oven, a little tired but in good spirits as he greeted the pair in his usual Keith way. Hunk pulled his ex into a bone-crushing hug, Shay giggling at the look of panic that Keith shot her way before gently disentangling him and pulling him into a much gentler version.

“Go shower, dude. You look exhausted.” Hunk shooed him off once he’d put Keith’s bag in the office. (They had a futon for whoever might turn up on their doorstep in there as well as Shay’s desk and computer set up for work.) “I’m going to go pick Allura up from the airport shortly.”

He got a thumbs up. Promising.

“It looks like the weather is clearing out there, too. Make sure you have a back-up plan in case of ice.” Shay warned, pulling aside the blinds to peer outside. “I would hate to have to come and find you in a ditch on Christmas Eve.”

“Eh, it’ll be fine. We’re used to this weather, remember?”

“Just because I was born in Canada.” Shay shook her head with a smile. “Silly man.”

“You love me.” He pointed out.

“I do.” She said thoughtfully. “Sometimes.”

Pepper took it upon himself to meow quite loudly to attract attention from both parties at that moment, obviously feeling quite put out that no one had bothered to lean over and give him pets. Hunk gave a narrow-eyed look to Shay before scooping the fluffy tabby into his arms and scratching behind his ears- Pepper purred like it was the first time anyone had ever loved him.

Dramatic critter.

“Love you too.” He sulked.

“You’ll be fine.” Shay replied, not even looking up from the parmesan she was grating for the Caesar salad. “Could you grab me a soda while you’re up?”

“Of course.” He deposited the cat on the back of the couch before opening the sliding door to the back deck. Due to the lack of space in the fridge, they had put the several cases of soda and alcohol on the deck since it was below zero and snowy. Hunk had, in what he would call a moment of ingenuity, built a small ice box out of snow. He was very proud of it, and it had two bottles of wine and half a case of miscellaneous other items in it as well for the moment. Pidge would probably get a kick out of it when she saw it.

He grabbed blindly, coming up with cream soda and retreating back into the house with a shiver. Shay was right, it was definitely getting colder without the cloud cover to keep the temperature at a reasonable average. Shay accepted it with a broad smile and a gentle bump of her hip, reaching for a glass as Keith came back out from the hall.

“Did you shower at the speed of sound?” Hunk raised a brow, suitably impressed.

“Nah, just needed to wash the sweat off.” He replied easily, leaning against the counter. “Do you need help, Shay?”  
  


“No, but thank you Keith.” She replied warmly. “Would you like to stay here or go with Hunk to pick Allura up from the airport?”

“I might just stay here, if that’s alright. I don’t want to be in a car until I have to be. Driving non-stop all day will do that.” Keith shrugged.

“No worries. Speaking of, I should probably head out now while the roads are still half decent. I have my phone on me just in case.” Hunk heaved out a sigh. “Let me know if there’s anything you need- I might be able to swing by the 24 hour drive-thru if we have the time.”

“We’ll let you know. Have fun!” Shay called, leaning to rummage around the cupboard for something else.

He shook his head as he slid his feet into his winter boots, the fuzzy interior a blessed experience for the several seconds it took for his socks to rub against them. It only took several more seconds to tuck the laces into the top of the boots; who even had time to tie them when he was going to be doing minimal walking- and he patted his pocket to make sure the keys were still in his winter jacket before leaving, shooing the cats away from the crisp air that seeped in the second he opened the door and closing it firmly behind him.

Even with his careful driving, he still arrived to the airport a solid twenty minutes before Allura’s flight was due to land. With that in mind, he decided to hit up the single small café that still happened to be open and got himself a hot chocolate with the full works so that he could warm his hands up while he waited.

The numbers blinked on the boards in green- nothing had been cancelled yet, and the Altea Air flight moved steadily up to the top of the list as people greeted one another with their holiday greetings. Family and friends reuniting for the season.

By the time Allura’s long white mane of hair was visible, Hunk had already finished and discarded the cup from his drink. He waved her down with a grin, seeing the same expression mirrored on the woman’s features.

Every time he saw Allura, Hunk could not help but marvel at her natural beauty. Dark skin, pale haired; she looked like a goddess had decided to walk amongst men. And with her British background, sometimes it was hard to remember that she wasn’t actually some kind of modern deity. But nonetheless, she was as warm and bright as she always was as she locked her arms around Hunk’s ribs and squeezed enough that he was mildly concerned that something would crack.

“Allura- can’t breathe.” He wheezed before she released him, the scent of her perfume faintly floral.

“Apologies, Hunk. It’s so lovely to see you!” she nearly squealed. “And so much snow. Are we going to be partaking in the usual winter activities while I’m here?”

“Depending on how everything goes, I’m pretty sure that we can arrange something.” He chuckled, grabbing her bag for her while she shouldered herself into her oversized pink pullover. “First we’ll have to make it through the night- we’ll probably do anything tomorrow since it’s pretty late now.”

“True, I suppose. Thank you for coming to pick me up. I could have just as easily caught a cab.” She said, flicking her ponytail over her shoulder as she freed it from fabric.

“Shay would never let me hear the end of it, and I wouldn’t feel right making you do that. You’re practically family, princess.” Hunk rebutted, leading the way to the exit. The flight had been mostly empty given the date, so there was no traffic when he directed Allura to the van.

(Lance had coined the term amid drunken shenanigans during finals week during their first year in university. Needless to say, the nickname had somehow stuck, and Allura thought it was hilarious.)

“After all the things we did in uni, we probably are family. I’m sure at least one of us had a blood pact. Not to mention the number of times that Keith and Lance had their strange love-hate relationship.” Allura shook her head, a small smile on her lips as she heaved her bag into the back as Hunk started up the vehicle. “I admit I was disappointed to hear that he wouldn’t be in the States until the New Year.”

“Hey, we knew it was going to be unlikely. He always goes somewhere with his siblings around Christmas.” he shrugged, cranking up the heat as the back shut and Allura jogged around the side of the van. “You’re staying a couple of days with us though, right?”

“Of course! I’ll be staying in a hotel after that, though. I wouldn’t want to impose, and I do have a few work things to do while I’m here. Coran just can’t help himself, I suppose.”

“How is Coran?”

“Eccentric as always. He’s gotten it into his head to produce a documentary on something… I know he mentioned it but to be honest it sounded too bizarre for me.”

The small talk continued all the way home. By the time the driveway came into view, Allura was dozing off, the rumble of the engine apparently enough to lull her into a drowsy state. Hunk gently shook her awake after he parked, grinning as Shay appeared in the window and waved wildly at them both.

“Shay’s excited to have you all here.” He commented, “and it isn’t even Christmas yet.”

“It’s as good as, at this point.” Allura pointed out.

“Still have to have dinner. _Then_ I can be convinced.” Hunk argued.

“Agree to disagree.”

“Fine.”

* * *

Pidge arrived first, her backpack on her shoulder, keys in the other as she kicked off her shoes and greeted the cats. The door closed behind her with a firm thump.

“Hey Pidge.” Keith greeted, toasting a beer in her direction.

Hunk looked up, frowning when he didn’t see Matt and Shiro with her.

“They’re still bickering over who’s going to bring the bags in because they’re children and I’ve had to put up with it all day because I’m the only one willing to go over twenty in this weather.” She said before he asked, jutting a thumb over her shoulder. “At this point, I’m willing to lock them in the car with their bedding and call it a day. I don’t know how they can stand each other. Also, hey Keith. Nice hair.”

“Just because it’s longer than the last time you saw me.” He muttered, taking a drink from the bottle to muffle his complaints.

“At this point I’m not unconvinced you’re doing it so you can pretend to be Rapunzel. Swing around from the rocks in your middle-of-literal-nowhere home like Tarzan.”

“Heathen.”

“Bitch.”

“Language.” Shay scolded, earning two apologetic faces turning her direction. “Pidge, it’s good to see you. Lasagna and the rest of the food is on the counter if you’d like to eat.”

“Absolutely. I haven’t had real food in a week since I’ve been babysitting thing one and thing two out there.” She deadpanned, relief in her eyes as she finished stripping off her coat and hanging it up. “Do you have lime soda by chance?”

“Out on the back deck. Picked it up this morning while we were out.”

“God bless you beautiful souls.”

She went to the back door as the front door finally opened to reveal Matt and Shiro, who had apparently decided to split the difference and carry the same amount of luggage to the house. Shiro looked exhausted, Matt completely undeterred as he put down the bag he was carrying to scoop Mustard into his arms and wheeze like he’d been punched.

“Precious angel baby.” He whispered into her fur, ignoring Shiro for the moment.

“Down the hall, spare room.” Hunk said as Shiro contemplated whether or not to commit murder in front of them. “Pidge called dibs on the couch for some reason.”

“I like being where I can be near everything.” She replied, shivering as she cracked open the can of neon green soda. “Also it means I get to make coffee in the morning. And _drink_ it.”

“You just like having the first batch all to yourself.” Matt hissed from behind a mouthful of mottled fur. “I love your cat, Hunk. I want twenty.”

“Take it up with your walking disaster.” Pidge replied before Hunk could, filling a plate with food and sticking it in the microwave. Shay pat her on the shoulder as she leaned into the taller woman with a yawn that sounded painful if the popping in her jaw indicated anything. “I don’t care as long as the rent doesn’t change.”

“Shiro. Babe. That wasn’t a no.” Matt was absolutely delighted as he cradled the feline to his chest. Shiro grunted something that might have been a reply as he dragged his duffel back and Matt’s down the hall to the spare bedroom that Hunk directed him to.

“And yet not a yes, either.” Keith smirked. He heaved himself upright and wandered into the kitchen, putting his now empty beer bottle in the designated bin and offering Pidge a fist bump in greeting. They were an interesting pair- one that logically shouldn’t have worked as well as it did. But, Keith had just enough mother hen in him to make sure that Pidge had been able to function as a mostly human being in university, and Pidge had just enough rebellion that she and Keith were able to bitch about the older members of their group and bond over some of the more reckless things they did.

(One such incident involved three ferrets, an alpaca and three rolls of red solo cups. No one ever spoke of the incident again and there was always a strange ammonia smell next to the third level men’s restroom afterward.)

Hunk got in line- Shay was already wrapping an arm around Pidge’s shoulders with that maternal grin she always seemed to get around the shortest member of the group. And because Shay was, apparently the ‘pure cinnamon bun’ of their group, Pidge let it happen.

“Where’s Allura?”

“Already asleep. She was super jet lagged.” Keith said. “Ate enough food to put Shiro to shame and then went to bed.”

“Oh well. We’ll see her in the morning.” Shiro said, returning to the room. He raised an eyebrow at Keith, who levelled one right back. Shiro tried to be the dad of the group, but he just couldn’t get the group to cooperate most of the time. He was more like the weird older sibling they couldn’t shake. Hunk was probably closer to the parent- he was cautious enough that he didn’t get caught- _er_ , he thought things through before deciding on a course of action.

The microwave dinged.

Hunk knew right about then that there was no way he was going to get a hug in while Pidge was focused on food. Instead he went to hug it out with Shiro. They’d evened out over the years- Hunk was just shy of Shiro’s height and had muscled up some, while Shiro had slimmed down a little bit more. Probably thanks to Matt’s tendencies to try interesting diets in the search of The One.

“Good to see you.”

“You too, bud.”

“Matt, you going to join the sap fest or are you going to put the cat down and come eat something before your blood sugar takes a nosedive and we have to hand feed you.” Pidge rolled her eyes, taking a seat at the tiny corner table and shovelling food into her face. Really, it was so excellent to see her actually being a human being- the amazing power that was Shay at its finest.

“Ooh, kinky. Can Shiro be the one to feed me?” Matt batted his eyelashes at his boyfriend. Pidge and Keith gagged simultaneously, Hunk facepalmed, and Shay just sighed with that small smile on her lips, crossing her arms over her chest and watching the events unfold.

“Nope.” Shiro immediately vetoed, accepting the plate that Shay extended to him as he poked at the garlic bread. “Shiro is feeding himself and you’re going to feed yourself because you are a grown adult and I don’t have the energy to deal with anyone besides myself right now. Try again tomorrow- it’s Christmas.”

“You pick _now_ to be on my side.” Pidge grumbled from the table, shaking her head as she took another bite of lasagna. “By the way Shay, your food is heavenly and I would happily marry you in an instant if it meant I got to eat like this every day.”

“We’ll send you home with leftovers.” The woman in question promised as she filled a glass of water from the sink. “Matt, are you going to have something to eat?”

“After Shiro clears out. Don’t want to get in the way when I could be loving this good girl instead.” He cooed, making a face at the cat in his arms. Mustard mewed in agreement, rubbing her head along the underside of Matt’s jaw. Hunk knew that by morning the elder Holt would be congested like nothing else, quite possibly sneezing up a storm. Mentally, he made a note to dig out some of the anti-congestion and allergy medications from the bathroom to leave out for him before bed.

“Your love of cats will be your downfall, dude.” Keith snorted, leaning against the counter. He had a soda in his hand now- he must have snuck through the back door during the conversation to get it. “You do remember that you’re _allergic_ to cats, right?”

“Eh, not enough to deter me.” Matt shrugged. “Haven’t keeled over yet.”

“No, but I have to sleep to you at night, and you wheeze like an eighty-year-old man after you’ve been snuggling with a cat.” Shiro crossed his arms. “Keep it up and you can sleep on the floor out here.”

“Now you’re punishing me? I’m the one who drove you here!” Pidge squeaked indignantly, brandishing her fork in Shiro’s direction. “He’s sleeping with _you_.”

“Boys. Pidge. Allura is trying to sleep.” Shay interrupted. She raised a brow, her tone even as she made direct eye contact with everyone in the room. “Please keep the volume down. Or, take it outside.”

“Aye aye.” Pidge muttered, a little half salute accompanying the words. “Sorry Shay.”

“Sorry.” Keith said.

Shiro shrunk under the firm gaze. “Sorry, Shay.”

“Yeah. Sorry, Squad Mom.” Matt added, putting a now wriggling Mustard down and looking very contrite. Hunk recalled him being rather good at that look whenever they had study hall together and the librarian caught on to him when he was playing Pokémon on his DS instead of rereading the material for class.

Shay kept up the charade for a couple more seconds before her lips quivered and she leaned forward with a hand over her mouth to muffle her giggles. “You should have seen the looks on your faces!”

“She’s genuinely terrifying sometimes, man.” Matt whispered into Hunk’s ear, setting a hand on his shoulder. “You did good.”

“She’s also the one who wants to watch Moana before bed, so don’t test her.” Hunk returned, patting Matt’s hand with a smile. “Apparently she wants all of us to bawl our eyes out at Disney.”

“Dude, how _else_ are you supposed to spend Christmas Eve?”

* * *

Hunk and Shiro were the first ones up the next morning. For once it seemed that Shay was content to sleep in; something that she deserved after working so hard to make all the food and snacks for the big day. Not to mention how perfect she looked with her curly hair splayed out around her face, features slack save for the tiniest wrinkle between her brow. It usually meant that she was dreaming, Hunk had deduced.

He slunk out of bed, taking note of the white flakes coming down outside the window, and grabbed his yellow house coat. He shrugged it on, already able to hear Pepper coming down the hall to investigate the possible presence of one who was ready to provide food for him. Mustard wouldn’t bother- she used Pepper as the detection service and waited patiently for sustenance.

Mustard chirruped from the back of the couch when she saw Hunk, purring when he paused to rub along her spine gently. Pidge was out like a light, blanket pulled up to cover her face. A soft snuffling indicated that she was indeed still asleep; Hunk planned on keeping it that way for as long as humanly possible. Knowing her brother, however, he also knew that resistance was futile and the second the elder sibling was up the entire household would know about it.

Shiro padded in quietly as Hunk put down the cat bowls full of food, the pair of felines eagerly digging in like it was the first meal they’d had in days. Which was totally incorrect. They were fed three times a day like clockwork and the cats knew it. They just happened to enjoy eating.

“Merry Christmas.” Hunk mouthed, pointing to the couch with a finger to his lips. “I’m making tea- you want some?”

“Sure.”

Hunk puttered around the kitchen easily, extracting everything he needed with barely a sound. Years of practice in a dorm room full of hungover, asleep college students had prepared him for this moment. The kettle on to boil, he leaned over to pull Shiro into his side, age old need for affection winning him over. Shiro sighed deeply but allowed it, leaning his head on Hunk’s shoulder as they watched the snow come down outside.

“Going to be an interesting day. Matt and Allura are definitely going to want to go out and play in the snow.” Shiro started quietly, the rumble of the water heating in the kettle in the background. “I can only imagine the chaos that’s going to ensue.”

“Well, you know them.” Hunk replied in amusement. “Besides, we don’t _have_ to give out gifts until later on. Shay and I have enough food ready to keep us going all day and then some.”

“You try keeping two Holts out of gifts for longer than an hour.” Shiro snorted, shaking his head. “They’d implode.”

“Hm. I got nothing.”

“Just watch it and hope we survive the fallout?”

“Sounds good.”

The tea poured and mugs in hand, Pidge was the next to wake, peering over the back of the couch balefully next to a slumbering Mustard.

“I smell your disgusting leaf water, you heathens.” She growled inhumanly, flipping them the bird before vanishing behind the dark olive cushions once again.

“I’ll put the coffee on.”

“Hm. Merry Christmas.”

“Love you too, Pidge.”

He and Shiro shared a look, laughter stuck in their throats as Hunk pointed to the cupboard that contained the coffee grounds. Obviously, there would be no civility from their smallest friend until some measure of caffeine had reached her bloodstream.

Allura meandered out next, hands paws in the absolutely massive pastel blue pullover she’d donned over her white pajama pants. Her hair looked like a cloud, falling out of the ponytail she’d had it in the night before (and likely even before then, considering she’d been flying for something like 13 hours). Immediately, she beelined for Hunk and Shiro, burrowing in between them with a contented sigh as she leeched their warmth.

“Happy Christmas, loves.”

“Merry Christmas, Allura.” The two men chorused, Hunk freeing his arm to tend to the coffee machine.

Pidge poked her head over the back of the couch again to be greeted by a lime green mug that looked like a frog, full to the brim of steaming coffee.

“Good tidings to all.” She toasted them, carefully reclining again. She batted away Pepper’s curious nose, muttering that coffee was definitely not for cats and that she was not about to start sharing now.

“She’ll be fine once she makes it through the first cup.” Shiro stage whispered to Allura and Hunk, waving cheerfully when Pidge flipped him the bird over the back of the couch. “She’ll be able to speak real English, anyway.”

“I heard that.” Came the grumpy reply.

Shay was next to appear, about a half hour later. Hunk had already managed to corral the rest of the group to the couch and armchairs, the cats were contentedly batting away at the ornaments on the lower hanging branches of the trees, and had just sat down himself. She shuffled over to him with a deep yawn, sitting on his lap and moving around until she was sideways on his lap, head tucked comfortably against his shoulder as she kissed him good morning.

“Merry Christmas, Darling.” She whispered into his ear.

“Merry Christmas, Shay.” He whispered back, sneaking in another kiss while she was distracted by something that Keith said.

_“It’s Christmas and it’s snowing! My life is complete!”_

And with that, everyone in the house was up. Matt skidded into the room in socked feet, hair sticking up in every direction imaginable, glasses askew on his nose as he pointed in absolute delight to the snow outside the windows.

His excitement was cut short with a pillow to the head, taking him out in a single hit. He went down with a dramatic squawk that had everyone in the room bursting into laughter; however let it be known that Matthew Holt was not one to be deterred from his mission- he popped right back up like a jack in the box, hurled the pillow back at Pidge and went racing out the back door before anyone could stop him.

To paint the scene: Matthew Holt, clad in an oversized t-shirt, pastel pink boxers and fuzzy socks, hurls himself off the back deck into the two feet of snow in the back yard with as much exhilaration he can muster- only to come up shrieking with the cold and shivering as he made an attempt to return indoors. However, Shay met him at the door with a towel and a quirked brow. None would pass the woman of the house, least of all Shay.

Nonetheless, the upbeat rhythm continued once Matt had towelled off and gotten changed into something a tad warmer. Gifts were foremost on Pidge and Matt’s minds, and it was clear as they sat next to one another on the couch, nearly vibrating.

(Actually, Hunk was pretty sure Pidge was vibrating due to the three large black coffees she had downed beforehand, but that was neither here nor there.)

“But before we start…” Shay said mysteriously, going to the front door. “I heard that there was someone who was going to meet Keith for the very first time today.”

She opened the door to reveal Maxwell, giant red ribbon and all, sitting in the doorway, tail wagging furiously. His missing hind leg was hardly noticeable amid all the fur as Shay coaxed him in with his lead to bring over to Keith.

“I might have asked one of the ladies to bring him over for you, Keith.” She said sheepishly. “Especially since I only just heard that you had decided to adopt him.”

Keith was already reaching for the dog, features lighting up as Maxwell sat down very patiently, tail continuing to create a breeze worthy of a jet engine. He did, however, lift his front paw to rest on Keith’s leg, eyes massive and pleading.

“I think I just fell in love.” He announced to the room, looking like a child as he beamed at Shay. “Thank you for all of this.”

“He’s going to love Nevada.” She said grinned. “I also asked the ladies to drop off some food and his toys before you two head out, so you’re going to be well prepared.”

“Thanks, Shay.” Keith reached up past his new companion to pull the woman into a hug.

“Absolutely disgusting.” Pidge shook her head even as she coaxed Maxwell over to her to scratch his face. “But you’re a good boy, aren’t you? Yes you are.”

“His name is going to be Max. Maxwell doesn’t suit you very well, buddy.” Keith said, watching the dog wag himself silly as he continued his rounds, completely ignoring the disgusted looking cats underneath the tree.

“He’s a pretty dog.”

“Yeah. Part border collie if I remember his file right. He’ll be able to run for miles back home.” Keith grinned.

“Well then. Since we’re getting started on this gift-giving track, I think it’s time we pull out the big guns.” Pidge slapped her knees firmly, hauling herself upright and petting Mustard as she reached under the tree. She tossed a couple of packages toward Hunk and Shiro, another at Keith and handed Allura hers since the pale haired woman was sitting against the wall next to the tree with a blanket around her shoulders.

“Hunk and Shay, you’re not allowed to open yours until Hunk gives you your present.” Pidge winked. And Shiro, that’s more for you than for Matt, but have at it.”

Keith opened his cautiously, features brightening when he realized what the small handheld object was. “You built me a new metal detector?”

“Handheld one, this time. You can hold it or it unfolds into a watch. It’s got a pretty good range on it thanks to Matt’s help with some of the fine-tuning stuff.”

“Between that and the dog, you’re never going to leave the desert again.” Shiro rolled his eyes, reclining into the couch and leaning his head against Matt’s. “We’re going to have to come visit you for Christmas next year.”

“If you don’t mind camping than sure. You know the cabin’s only got enough room for two or three people if we’re lucky. And since Max is coming home with me, that makes two.” He raised a brow before heaving out a sigh. “Also, I wasn’t able to get you guys anything since I’m kind of the gift for being able to make it out this year? Sorry. I can send you guys some neat fossils when I get back home?”

“Keith, we’re just happy you could make it.” Shay denied with a wave of her hand.

“I also did not get anyone gifts this year.” Allura apologized. “Between work and organizing my trip here from England, it’s been a very hectic holiday.”

Allura oohed over her compact jewelry box, complete with built in timers and a small clock that played a snippet of her favourite song when it went off. Shiro was suspiciously quiet when he opened a pamphlet for pet adoption for veterans, Matt immediately excited by the new amount of information Pidge had supplied them with. Good news; Shiro didn’t look irritated, and he did crack a smile when Matt pointed at something with a squeal that could have shattered the sound barrier.

Shay got up to distribute care packages to everyone- in partnership with Lance. The missing member of their group had mailed several cozy sweaters to Hunk and Shay a few weeks earlier with small notes included. Hunk and Shay had packed them into boxes with small odds and ends that everyone might find useful, opting for something more personal this year.

Shiro had gone with gift cards with Matt; the two of them were completely useless when it came to forming coherent gifts for everyone. In the end, it was easier just to write them a nice card and include a 75-dollar gift card to one of their favorite stores.

“Alright, Hunk, you have a present from Shay underneath the tree. And we all know Hunk has a present for Shay.” Allura beamed, bouncing in place on the floor. She grabbed the card and handed it to Pidge, who then handed it to Shiro who passed it off to Hunk. “You two should exchange gifts at the same time!”

“That work for you?” Hunk inquired to Shay, palms suddenly sweaty. Picking out a ring had been one thing- he could see the fun and playfulness in that. This was the big moment, the one he’d been inwardly panicking about for weeks. If Lance were here, he’d be all over it and making sure that Hunk wasn’t losing his mind over proposing to Shay on Christmas morning.

The only consolation he had was that Shay looked almost as nervous as he felt as she toyed with the edge of the envelope in her hands.

“On three?” she asked, envelope in front of her chest as she offered it to him.

“Uh, actually-“ Hunk swallowed thickly, the tiny box in his hand as he leaned forward. “Shay, I love you. And I could make this super long and drawn out and start rambling awkwardly or I could just do this and ask you one thing; will you marry me?”

The tiny box opened to reveal a simple silver and gold band twined together, a tiny pink pearl inlaid in the metal.

“Oh, _Hunk_ -“ Shay gasped, tears beading at the corner of her eyes. “Yes!”

She sniffled as he slid the ring onto her hand, meeting the gaze of everyone else in the room. Shiro had dutifully gotten his phone out to record the entire thing for Lance, as had Pidge and Allura. Keith had wrangled Maxwell in between his legs and was scratching the dog’s ears contentedly. He did give Hunk a thumbs up when he caught his eye, however; pride evident in his gaze.

“Lance is going to shit himself when he sees this.” Pidge cackled from her side of the room. “Shay, give Hunk his!”

Shay nodded, handing Hunk the envelope carefully. She remained quiet as he opened the flap and pulled out…

A black and white image. In one corner, in Shay’s tiny, neat handwriting, said; _You’re a father!_

His brain didn’t process it for several long moments. Staring at the image, he was positive everyone else in the room could hear his brain attempting to puzzle it out.

“I went home for more than one reason.” Shay explained tentatively, a nervous smile on her lips as she twisted her hands together. “I’d done the home test, but I wanted to be sure. So I went to see someone at home and… I’m pregnant?”

“Holy shit.” His mouth finally managed to piece together. “You’re pregnant?”

“Yep.” She nodded.

“Pregnant.” The word was unfamiliar in his mouth, but his lips turned upward regardless. “We’re going to have a baby.”

“Hopefully after our wedding.” She giggled, holding up her hand, ring catching the light.

“Congratulations!” Allura couldn’t help herself any longer, it seemed. She rocketed off of the floor and darted over to the pair of them, throwing her arms around them both and squeezing. “Oh, I’m so happy for you both!”

“You were all in this?”

“Well, the wedding part. Not the pregnant part.” Shiro offered with a one shouldered shrug. “Congrats, you guys. You’re going to make awesome parents.”

“I can’t wait until Lance sees this. He has _no idea_ Shay’s pregnant.” Pidge grinned widely, fingers tapping away on her phone as she undoubtedly sent the videos and the information along to their missing group member. Hunk made a mental note to video chat him after they ate something- otherwise he was pretty sure his best friend was going to have a mental breakdown and get on the next flight back to the States, damn his sibling bonding time.

Hunk leaned back to bask in Shay’s weight across his lap, brain blissed out. She’d said yes. She was pregnant. And now she was going to want to start wedding planning.

_Crap_.

_Shay was pregnant and they needed to plan a wedding._


End file.
